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Ring-necked Duck
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| Ring-necked Duck, male
©
Kathy Lindstrom Courtesy of eNature |
Species
description provided by eNature
Description
14-18" (36-46 cm). Male has black back and breast; purple-glossed,
black-appearing angular head; pale gray flanks; vertical white mark
on side of breast. Female brownish, paler around base of bill, with
narrow white eye ring. Bill pale gray with white ring. The high
angular shape of the head and white ring on bill distinguish this
bird from the scaup.
Voice
Soft purring notes, but usually silent.
Habitat
Wooded lakes, ponds, and rivers; seldom on salt water except in
the southern states.
Nesting
8-12 buff or olive eggs in a down-lined cup concealed in vegetation
near the edge of a pond.
Range
Breeds from Alaska, Manitoba, and Newfoundland south to California,
Arizona, Great Lakes, and Maine. Winters from Washington south along
Pacific Coast, east through Southwest and Gulf Coast states, and
north to New England.
Discussion
This species might better be called the "Ring-billed Duck,"
for its chestnut neck ring is usually seen only at close range,
while the white ring on the bill can be a prominent field mark.
More partial to acid ponds and lakes in wooded regions than other
diving ducks, it eats the seeds of aquatic plants, as well as snails
and insects. Because it never gathers in large flocks, it has not
been hunted extensively like some of its relatives. A fast flier,
the ring-neck undertakes longer migrations than most other diving
ducks.
